Monday, April 16, 2007

Promoting Unity, Malaysian Style

Just remember, we gave the present Government a mandate. Something we are constantly reminded of.

The law requires that the welfare of the children be the paramount consideration. The law also requires that all of us be treated equally. And yet, it would seem that those amongst us charged with the welfare of the nation and its citizens appear to think otherwise.

What justifies tearing a family apart, separating children from their parents? Islam does not. The law does not. How can we even begin to understand the anguish of the father, the mother and the children? How can we even begin to understand that some believe that the law countenances, warrants, such cruelty?

Rubber tapper P Marimuthu’s life changed drastically when seven officers from the Selangor Religious Department (Jais) came to his house in Kampung Baru Tambahan Ulu Yam on April 2. The father of six was told that his wife of 21 years Raimah Bibi was a Muslim and that she and their children, aged between four and 12, must be placed in a rehabilitation centre. The couple’s eldest son was staying with an uncle at that time. Relating his ordeal at a press conference in the Parliament lobby today, the 44-year-old rubber tapper said he had no choice but to let the officers take his family away. He also claimed that an ‘ustaz’ (religious scholar) had told him to covert to Islam or threatened to charge him for khalwat (close proximity) with Raimah, 40. Raimah, who returned to help him with the rubber tapping work two days later, told him that Jais had placed the family in the nearby Kampung Melayu Liga Emas. She purportedly said the villagers, who are predominantly Malays, have been asked to keep an eye on her daily activities and prevent her from meeting outsiders, especially her husband. Marimuthu said he felt threatened by the villagers’ stares when he attempted to visit his wife and children. “My wife was so afraid that she refused to come out and talk to me. I had no choice but to leave that village,” he said. According to him, Raimah managed to sneak their children over to his house several times without anybody’s knowledge. “We will be together for some time and then she’ll leave again to the other house,” he said. Another heart-rendering saga Marimuthu also does not know if his wife was a practising Muslim before they got married. Since then, he said, the two of them have been practising Hindus. “We got married in a temple, according to Hindu rituals. All our kids were brought up as Hindus,” he said. He said Raimah, who was adopted by an Indian Muslim family, cannot remember her adopted mother and her late adopted father had approved of their relationship. According to Marimuthu, his wife’s MyKad had stated her name as Raimah Bibi binti Noordin and her religion as Islam. The couple did not apply to the National Registration Department (NRD) to have this corrected either. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, who accompanied Marimuthu, said the authorities learnt about Raimah’s ‘religious status’ when the couple enrolled their children into a school and copies of their identity cards were submitted to the education department. “It is a simple mistake that has brought a great tragedy to the family,” he said, adding that the matter must be checked with the authorities in order for the family to be reunited. “This is the latest in heart-rendering family sagas like in the case of R Subashini where human rights are completely ignored. Such incidents should be stopped,” he stressed.

18 comments:

We have come to a stage where LAW does not defend the people.The LAW watches helplessly and even closes its eyes as UNLAWNESS marches on with impunity.The government fears religious bigots.Welcome to Taliban country.

MIS,Shocking to say the least :( For a father to now suddenly be 'the' criminal, and kept away like an outsider. I can only imagine the sad state of confusion these poor children must be going through, their daily fear as they feed off their Mom's terror at being 'caught' with her own husband now.How can we be a civilized state?Mz.Karamsingh.

“Someone has to be made accountable for this”. Someone has been for quite a while. A cryptic comment, Malik! This incident again proves that a secular system cannot exist with the Islamic code, as a Quranic injunction would suggest, no matter how loud the moderates say it could.

Sure "Someone has to be made accountable for this".As an ordinary non Muslim voting citizen of Malaysia, i think i was shocked one day not too long ago when while reading the daily newspaper, read that an until then very much respected and revered politician, at least by a good proportion of non Muslims in this country, declared as a matter of fact that the country was in other words "not secular" and has always been understood to be so by "practice", when in reality most abiding citizens actually know for a fact that the Federal Constitution declares that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the main religion ..while the rights of those professing other religions would ALWAYS be protected within the Constitutional parameters.I am thinking that things started going downhill soon after...because confusion begin to set in..at some levels of implementation.However, it is still left to the Current leadership which was given a POWERFUL mandate by MalaysianS of ALL religions to set the record RIGHT and STRAIGHT and SAVE THIS BELOVED NATION from REALIZING ITS FULL RESOURCES or become a Dustbin of Sorts and not to mention a bad lesson to the ever violent world out there. A WORLD that needs to learn FROM nations that practice JUSTICE AND FAIRPLAY to ALL its citizens.

aawilliam is right. Head of Islam is the ruler of the state. The Sultans for the states and the King for the federation. I think maybe Karpal or Marimuthu can write to the head of Islam and ask for an explanation. Will asking the Sulatan for an explanation be within the law?

This is religious bigotry and tyranny at its worse - breaking up a family in God's name is an insult to God.

Lawlessness seems to prevail with justice denied whenever there is an overlap between religion and the law.

Other then Lim Kit Siang - is there no other Muslim with authority who is going to come out in defence of this poor ignorant man who can bare eke a living as a rubber tapper let alone being terrorise by religious bigots.

When man becomes so arrogant that they think they are God, that's where the trouble starts. Man has chosen to subvert and manipulate God's word into something that suits their purposes. When are the government going to come to their senses?

I may not be a total know-it-all when it comes to Islamic laws . but honestly , from the eyes of an "outsider" , you might not see it the way we muslim see it. There exists multiple reasons of why it is the way it is . and why do muslims embrace it. Majority of us are evaluating the situation only on the surface . Now , don't get me wrong ,I would be a heartless soul to say that it's not cruel to separate a mother from her child . But what I don't understand is, if it matters so much to the parents of the young couple , why didn't they interfere in the marriage of the young couple before it all happened . Why do you have to wait until they have a lil child of their own ?

and hold 'ye horses. The syariah still hasn't spoken their verdicts yet . What they are doing is merely carrying out the procedures when an apostate is found among the muslims .The lil girl is being taken care by her grandparents . not placed in some orphanage home .

just a personal opinion here , I don't think that the S.I.S representative seems to have much depth of knowledge in Islam to begin with .I still fail to see much of her contribution in being invited for the show .

Come to Australia. The Govt has increased migration quota by another 5,000 extra places this year. You can marry who you like or not marry. No khalwat, no National Service, no NEP, no BN, no discrimination allowed (that applies to you too if you come)and a developed civilised society. I came and I haven't returned to Malaysia since. And you do not have to be a graduate to migrate now. Australia accepts trade qualifications for migration as well as those with business skills and of course, professional qualifications.

Just answer this simple question since you all always arguing about laws, laws, laws and laws...

Which one is better, the things that made by god or the things that made by human?I'm sure, the things that made by god is fully perfect and that is the correct answer.

So, how about this. It's a same question since all of us borrow these oxygen from Him. The question is..

Which one is better, the law that made by god or the law that made by human?I'm sure, all of you always arguing the laws that made by god and really enjoy the laws that made by human that full of mistake. Those JAIS people just do their job, followed the laws and rules that made by god, but sadly, we.. as human.. betrayed the law.

"Hey all people.. Who creates you and this universe? Is it the stone that have a lot of hands? The Lord that being tied up by humans? The sleeping lord? What a funny people this world got.."

I am a Malay Muslim and I am proud being Malay Muslim. However, I am ashamed how my beloved country treating people equally. I am so embarrassed that people still begging for equality and fairness in daily life. Everyone of us, doesn't matter the skin color or religion should be able to speak our opinion and practice any religion that they want. There is no such thing of giving privileges to certain race. 7% discount is great for me to buy a house but I don't deserve it because I am Malay. I should work 7% harder so every Malaysian will have the same chance like me. I am Muslim but I am loving my non Muslim friend. They will die for me and so do I.

Why do we need to publicize our religion in the MyKad? Remember civil war in Rwanda? There is no such thing one race is better that the other. We are the same human, breathe the same air, we need food to survive, we have brain, feelings and emotions, we have needs and we are not perfect. I shown my MyKad to my foreigner friend and he asked me what if a person does not have religion ? Can the government let the him/her leave it as blank? The religion shouldn't interfere with the ruling law of the country.

I have been seeing a lot of Muslim's Malay who lives in duality. They can't be who they are because they are scared by the syariah law. I can't tell my family that two of my best friend is Chinese and Indian because my family will think that I am converting to other religion. I can't tell my family that I have been traveling to many countries and spent so much time in churches, temples and also mosques because they will think that I praise other religion even tho I admire architecture. I love Sistine Chapel and Vatican city because I am big fan of Bernini and Michaelangelo. Doesn't mean that I am Christian now?

I love Malaysia and I would never trade my citizenship to any other country. But, I am very sad that Malaysia lost their citizen's right to be free.